President’s Report to the Board of Governors (Mar. 2019)

Click here to view a PDF version of the report.

Reputational and Community Highlights

Collaborate Campaign surpasses $300-million goal

Carleton has officially surpassed the $300-million goal of its Collaborate Campaign, the most ambitious fundraising campaign in the university’s history. The campaign continues and will officially close at a community celebration on April 17. The Collaborate Campaign was publicly launched in 2015. Its impact is already evident, not just on campus, but in the community as well. Support from more than 25,000 donors has enabled Carleton to develop academic, research, and teaching and learning initiatives that empower students, faculty and staff to develop new approaches to social and economic issues, both locally and internationally.

Chief Advancement Officer Jennifer Conley and President Benoit-Antoine Bacon

President Bacon speaks to Ottawa leaders at City Hill

Carleton is woven into the fabric of Ottawa, and in today’s age of partnerships, the university’s collaborations with government, industry and non-profit institutions will play a key role in its ability to successfully navigate the fast pace of societal change. These ideas, the central theme of a speech delivered by Carleton President Benoit-Antoine Bacon at the Mayor’s Breakfast series at City Hall on Feb. 12, drew vigorous applause from a council chamber packed with nearly 300 local business, political and community leaders. Bacon was introduced by Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, a Carleton alumnus, who noted that extra seats had to be set up to accommodate the large audience.

Mayor Jim Watson and President Bacon

Top NASA official attends rover demo on campus

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and Canadian Space Agency President Sylvain Laporte attended a demonstration in Richcraft Hall on Nov. 13 by Carleton-based Mission Control of its software for the J5 planetary rover prototype. The collaboration includes a simulated Mars mission in Iceland, and potential deployment of the technology on a rover during NASA’s 2020 mission to Mars.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine test drives Mission Control’s planetary rover prototype

Computer Science graduate takes home an Academy Award

Derek Bradley, who has both a master’s and bachelor degree in Computer Science from Carleton, was part of a team that won a Technical Achievement Award at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Scientific & Technical Awards ceremony on Feb. 9. The team was recognized for the conception, design and engineering of the Medusa Performance Capture System, which allows filmmakers to record and digitally reconstruct an actor’s face as a full-motion animated character. Bradley, who has worked as a scientist for Disney Research in Zurich, Switzerland since 2010, credits Carleton for providing invaluable hands-on knowledge, industry experience and inspiration.

Derek Bradley

Leadership Renewal

Yaprak Baltacioğlu named Carleton’s new Chancellor

Alumna and accomplished public-sector leader and adviser, Yaprak Baltacioğlu, has been named as the university’s 12th Chancellor. “We are very excited to have Ms. Baltacioğlu coming back to our campus,” said Carleton President BenoitAntoine Bacon. “She is a resilient and purposeful leader who throughout her outstanding and award-winning career has always taken time to mentor many of her colleagues, including young civil servants beginning their careers.” The appointment embodies Carleton’s strong tradition of appointing accomplished Canadians to this important role. “Personal integrity is of utmost importance in this role,” said Nik Nanos, chair of Carleton’s Board of Governors. “The chancellor is a champion of the university’s values, and in ceremonies and other public settings, she will inspire our students and foster Carleton pride.”

Carleton University Chancellor Yaprak Baltacioğlu

Jerry Tomberlin appointed Provost and Vice-President, (Academic)

Interim Provost and former Dean of the Sprott School of Business Jerry Tomberlin, has been selected as the next Provost and Vice-President (Academic) of Carleton. “Jerry brings remarkable higher education understanding and experience to the role,” says Carleton President Benoit-Antoine Bacon, “in addition to vast institutional knowledge of Carleton and exceptional human qualities.”

Michael F. Charles starts as Director of Equity Services

Michael F. Charles joined Carleton as Director of the Department of Equity Services on March 1. Charles comes to Carleton from York University, where he served most recently as Executive Director for the Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion. To underline the strategic aspect of his role, Charles also carries the title of University Advisor on Equity.

Jerry Tomberlin and Michael F. Charles

Dana Brown named Dean of Sprott

Dana Brown has been appointed as Dean of Carleton’s Sprott School of Business for a five-year term starting July 1, 2019. Brown is currently the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Enterprise)/Dean at De Montfort University’s Leicester Castle Business School. She was previously Director of the MBA at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School.

Dana Brown

Larry Kostiuk named Dean of Engineering

Larry Kostiuk has been appointed Dean of Carleton’s Faculty of Engineering and Design and will begin a five-year term on July 1, 2019. Kostiuk joins Carleton from the University of Alberta, where he has worked since 1993 and served as Associate Vice-President (Research) after a transformative decade as Chair in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Larry Kostiuk

Patrice Smith named Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs

Patrice Smith has been appointed as Dean of Carleton’s Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs and will begin a five-year term on July 1, 2019. Smith is a full professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Associate Dean (Academic Affairs) in the Faculty of Science. Her research specializes in understanding how the brain responds to injury and mechanisms to promote repair and recovery. She was elected to the Board of Governors for a three-year term commencing July 1, 2018.

Patrice Smith

Academics

Carleton Mourns Loss of Professor Pius Adesanmi

Carleton was devastated by the sudden death of Prof. Pius Adesanmi, a member of the Department of English Language and Literature, director of the Institute of African Studies and a remarkable writer, poet and political commentator who was celebrated for his eloquence and fearlessness in speaking truth to power. He was among 18 Canadians killed in the March 10, 2019 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jet at the Addis Ababa airport. “The contributions of Pius Adesanmi to Carleton are immeasurable,” says Pauline Rankin, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. “He worked tirelessly to build the Institute of African Studies, to share his boundless passion for African literature and to connect with and support students. He was a scholar and teacher of the highest calibre who leaves a deep imprint on Carleton.”

Prof. Pius Adesanmi

Prof. Sarah Todd wins 3M National Teaching Fellowship

Sarah Todd, a professor in the School of Social Work, has been selected as a recipient of a 2019 3M National Teaching Fellowship. The 3M National Teaching Fellowship is the most prestigious recognition of excellence in post-secondary teaching and educational leadership in Canada. “While this award is given to one person, it speaks volumes to the creativity and support that Carleton puts into teaching and learning,” says Todd. “When the classroom is exciting and fresh, lots of interesting learning happens.”

Prof. Sarah Todd

Partnerships with our faculty union

A renewed collective agreement between Carleton University and the Carleton University Academic Staff Association (CUASA) was signed by both parties on Feb. 7. In addition, Carleton and CUASA issued a joint statement in January about working in partnership toward the goal of recruiting 10 additional Indigenous tenure-track faculty members over the next two years. Positions are currently open in the Sprott School of Business and in the Faculty of Public Affairs.

Carleton University and the Carleton University Academic Staff Association renew their collective agreement

Renewed AACSB accreditation for Sprott

Following a rigorous continuous improvement process and peer review visit, AACSB International has extended its accreditation of Carleton’s Sprott School of Business for another five years. AACSB accreditation has been earned by only five per cent of the world’s business schools that offer degree programs at the bachelor level and higher

Prof. Linda Schweitzer, Interim Dean of the Sprott School of Business

Collaborative Indigenous Learning Bundles launched

One of the Calls to Action of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission is about integrating Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods into the country’s post-secondary institutions. Carleton Prof. Kahente Horn-Miller’s idea — a series of focused Indigenous knowledge modules, available online for faculty members to deliver in their classes — has been developed into the Carleton University Collaborative Indigenous Learning Bundles (CUCILB) project.

Prof. Kahente Horn-Miller

Agreement with Dominican University College renewed

Carleton has renewed its affiliation agreement with Dominican University College involving non-ecclesiastical programs and academic degrees. The agreement was signed by Carleton President Benoit-Antoine Bacon and Dominican President Maxime Allard on Dec. 11, 2018.

Women Entrepreneurship Hub

Carleton was named a partner in the new Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub consortium, a one-stop source of knowledge, data and best practices for women entrepreneurs that was recently awarded close to $9 million over three years by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. The consortium is being led by Ryerson University and Carleton is one of eight regional hubs.

Research and Innovation

An announcement by the Government of Canada to invest $40 million in BlackBerry QNX will support Carleton’s research leadership in autonomous systems and provide great opportunities for Carleton students. The announcement was made on Feb. 15 in Kanata by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and focused on the next generation of connected and autonomous vehicles. “This investment in cutting-edge technologies will generate 1,000 much needed co-op placements, as well as new scholarships for young women and Indigenous people,” said Carleton President Benoit-Antoine Bacon. “We are proud to partner with BlackBerry QNX to continue to build Carleton’s and Ottawa’s leadership in next-generation autonomous systems.”

Carleton students demo a connected car on campus

Carleton Social Work Prof. Pam Grassau is teaming up with a local community-led volunteer initiative to launch the Healthy End of Life Project (HELP), a combined public health intervention and research project that will pilot a groundbreaking practical approach to helping people receive end-of-life care in their homes or in the community. The project will receive $641,000 over three years from the Mach-Gaensslen Foundation.

President Bacon, Social Work Prof. Pam Grassau, Mach-Gaensslen Foundation chair Chris Carruthers and Compassionate Ottawa co-chair Jim Nininger launch the Healthy End of Life Project

Shireen Hassim joins Carleton as the Canada 150 Research Chair in Gender and African Politics. The Institute for African Studies is her academic home on campus. The Chair was awarded $350,000 a per year for seven years. A total of 24 Canada 150 Research Chairs have been awarded nationwide.

Canada 150 Research Chair in Gender and African Politics Shireen Hassim is welcomed to Canada

Carmen Robertson was appointed as Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in North American Indigenous Visual and Material Culture. Her research deals with contemporary Indigenous art and visual culture; she examines ruptures in art narratives informed by an interdisciplinary approach.

Prof. Carmen Robertson

Physics Prof. Mark Boulay, Canada Research Chair in Particle Astrophysics and Subatomic Physics, and his team of 80 Canadian and international researchers have released the results of their first year collecting data on dark matter, confirming that the sensitive detector is working as anticipated. Their DEAP-3600 detector, operating at the underground SNOLAB in Sudbury, Ont., since late 2016, is searching for particles of mysterious dark matter that permeate the universe. This $30-million project is the largest dark matter detector of its kind in the world.

Physics Prof. Mark Boulay (left) and some of his students

Adjunct Research Prof. Yiyan Wu received the Order of Canada for digital TV and multimedia communications research in February.

Carleton’s School for Studies in Art and Culture has appointed Ellen Waterman as the first Helmut Kallmann Chair for Music in Canada. She brings a distinguished record of research and performance practice to the new chair, touching on diverse areas such as contemporary composition, creative improvisation, acoustic ecology, and music and disability.

Helmut Kallmann Chair for Music in Canada Ellen Waterman

Prof. Stephan Gruber (Geography and Environmental Studies) has been renewed as a Canada Research Chair in climate change, and Merlyna Lim (Journalism and Communication) was renewed as a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Digital Media and Global Network Society.

Carleton researchers have received more than $1 million in funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to support leading projects by Maria DeRosa and Matthew Holahan, Paul Villeneuve, and Hongyu Sun on reducing Parkinson’s-related neurodegeneration, how exposure to nature can benefit individual health, and understanding early-life epilepsy.

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada has awarded funding to 12 Carleton researchers in the amount of $593,000 through its Insight Development Grant program. The research covers northern energy infrastructure, labour mobility and floodwater planning in Indigenous communities. In addition, SSHRC awarded 64 scholarships to Carleton graduate students.

Students

Sexual Assault Awareness Week (SAAW) was held from January 21 to 25. The week was co-developed with collaboration between administrative offices and student groups. The theme for this year was “Solidarity,” and the main event was an art project called, “Love Letters to Survivors,” where President Bacon, Vice-President (Students and Enrolment) Suzanne Blanchard, faculty, staff and students wrote messages of support to survivors on campus.

A new student transition website for students called Pathways to Graduation has been designed to help guide students along a path to graduation that is right for them. As they transition through each phase of their undergraduate degree, and reach their ultimate goal of graduation, important program specific information related to the five success pillars — academics, employability, campus life, finances and wellness — is contained within each phase. (pathways.carleton.ca)

Sprott triumphed at JDC Central, Canada’s largest business school competition, at the University of Guelph in January. The team brought home first place in the accounting case competition, as well as third in digital strategy and third in entrepreneurship. JDCC Sprott also received awards for Captains of the Year, Volunteer of the Year and Team Sportsmanship.

The Sprott JDCC 2019 team

Carleton’s annual summer job fair was held on Jan. 31 and saw 24 employers from various industries attend, including Ericsson, Canopy Growth Corporation, Canada Revenue Agency, Lockheed Martin Canada and the National Research Council Canada.

Carleton’s annual winter networking event was held on Feb. 26 and was sponsored by IBM, 2Keys and Cisco. Seventy employers registered to attend this event from across a wide variety of industries — the highest number of employer registrations we have ever received. 475 students registered to attend.

Carleton students and chefs won first place in both the Appetizer and Main categories at the 6th annual Iron Chef Competition hosted by UMASS on Feb. 23. This is the first time a Canadian institution has won at the event, placing ahead of the University of Toronto, McGill University and the University of Ottawa. All team members are majoring in the Food Science program at Carleton.

Bachelor of Commerce students Cassandra Lee, Nicole Opsteen and Hala Saoudi won the University of Vermont Global Family Enterprise Case Competition in January. The team advanced to first place among teams representing 13 business schools from four continents. Saoudi also won the Best Presenter Award for the final round of competition.

MBA students Andrei Ghita, Blake Daly, Harsh Vaniwala and Kiarash Khorram won first place in the marketing case competition at the 2019 MBA Games in January. More than 600 MBA students from 20 Canadian universities competed in the games.

In November 2018, Sprott School of Business hosted more than 160 Ottawa-area high school students for the second annual Sprott Secondary Business School Challenge, which featured a business case competition organized by current Sprott students.

Bachelor of Commerce student Blair Watson was named a national finalist in Odgers Berndtson’s CEOx1Day leadership program and spent a day shadowing Mindbridge AI CEO Eli Fathy.

Information Technology PhD student Anthony Scavarelli developed a virtual reality platform showcasing the story of Viola Desmond.

Focus on Athletics

The men’s basketball team won its 14th USPORTS National Championship after competing in Halifax from March 8 to 10. They also won the provincial championship (OUA) Wilson Cup on March 2. The women’s basketball team finished second in the OUA East and reached the OUA semi-finals before losing to McMaster.

The women’s basketball team reached the OUA semi-finals before losing to McMaster

To date this year, Carleton’s student-athletes have won three OUA gold medals (men’s basketball, women’s Nordic skiing, men’s curling) and two OUA silver medals (men’s Nordic skiing, men’s fencing).

Carleton’s men’s basketball team celebrates its Ontario championship before winning the national title in Halifax

The women’s Nordic skiing team captured the OUA Championship on Feb. 17, their fourth consecutive title, while the men’s Nordic skiing team claimed silver. Zoe Williams (4th year, Bachelor of Science, Neuroscience and Mental Health) was named women’s individual overall champion and an OUA All Star for winning the 5km classic, the classic relay and the 10km mass free start. Aidan Kirkham (3rd year, Bachelor of Science, Environmental Science) and Alex Slobodian (4th year, Bachelor of Arts, Criminology & Criminal Justice) both competed at the World University Games in Krasnoyask, Russia, from March 1 to 12. Carleton’s head athletic therapist, Nadine Smith, worked with the Canadian medical team in Russia.

The women’s Nordic skiing team captured the OUA Championship on Feb. 17

The Ravens men’s curling team qualified for the USPORTS National Championship in Fredericton, New Brunswick, taking place March 14 to 19, after claiming its first OUA Championship banner on Feb. 18.

The men’s fencing team lost to U of T by two points at the OUA championship in Toronto on Feb. 10 and earned silver. Carleton’s Daniel Manyoki, Phillip McCully and Zac Zanussi were named OUA All Stars.

The Carleton men’s fencing team en garde for thee

The men’s ice hockey team qualified for the USPORTS Nationals being held in Lethbridge, Alberta, from March 14 to 17. After falling just short in the OUA East semi-final against Queen’s, the men won the March 8 bronze medal game against Western.

Carleton pool held the Canadian University Synchronized Swimming Championships on the weekend of Feb. 15 to 17.

The Ravens Baseball Club hosted the Canadian University World Series from Oct. 18 to 21. The team lost in the semi-finals to the eventual champions from McGill.

The figure skating team came home with two individual OUA medals on Feb. 13. Vanessa Chartrand and Hannah Whitley came first in Open Rhythm Dance and Amanda Cousineau and Carolyn Hall came second in Intermediate Similar Pairs.

The women’s rugby team made it to the playoffs for the first time in the program’s history.

Campus and Community

New tunnel wayfinding system pilot launched

During the week of Feb. 25, Facilities Management and Planning launched a pilot project of a new colour-coded wayfinding system in the tunnel system. The pilot will run until April 30 in the tunnels between the University Centre and the Loeb Building, designated as the pink B Line. As part of the pilot, feedback from faculty, staff and students is being collected.

FMP launched a pilot project of a new colour-coded wayfinding system in the tunnel system

10th anniversary of Service Excellence at Carleton

On Feb. 28, Carleton celebrated 10 years of Service Excellence at the annual Service Excellence Awards, where all nominees and recipients were recognized. There were a record 288 nominations for individuals, teams and innovative ideas. The winners included the team behind the Collaborative Indigenous Learning Bundles project, who received the Service Excellence for Innovation award, and the Undergraduate Recruitment office for Service Excellence by a Team.

Service Excellence Award winners

Sustainability strategy update

The university’s Sustainability Strategy is being updated and the Sustainability Office is in the process of engaging the Carleton university community on specific topic themes to better understand key issues and campus priorities. The new Sustainability Strategy will steer the university towards reaching these key outcomes and help guide countless initiatives tied to sustainability across campus. Once all the input has been collected it will help inform the final strategy, expected to be released in summer 2019.

Carnegie Classification on Community Engagement

Carleton recently applied — and was accepted — as a participant in the Canadian pilot of the Carnegie Classification on Community Engagement. This comprehensive assessment of university community engagement will highlight Carleton’s strengths and identify opportunities for further development of our community engagement strategy.

Chemistry Magic Show

In January, the 12th annual Chemistry Magic Show saw the largest turnout in its history and broke records for combined food and cash donations collected for the Ottawa Food Bank.

CUAG honored

The Carleton University Art Gallery received the Exhibition of the Year Award and the Curatorial Writing Award at the 2018 Ontario Association of Art Galleries Awards.

Dominion Chalmers is open for business

Several community events have recently taken place in this wonderful venue such as the Munro Beattie Lecture: The First Semester, by David Chariandy; Thirteen Strings Presents Candlelight Christmas; a holiday reception for ambassadors; and The Walrus Talks Impact. The first concert of the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra at the venue will take place on April 1.

Performance at the Carleton Dominion Chalmers Centre

Fall 2019 Enrolment and Recruitment Update

Applications to programs related to computing, health science, criminology, psychology, media production and design and aerospace engineering are up significantly. Applications to commerce and journalism are showing a decline at this time.

Undergraduate Recruitment

On Feb. 25, the Undergraduate Recruitment Office hosted the GTA Information Evening in Toronto. President Benoit-Antoine Bacon joined the presentation that highlighted students’ “firsts” (your first decision, your first steps to success, your first week, etc.).

The Undergraduate Recruitment Office will return to more than 200 high schools in Ontario for followup visits with applicants.

The international admissions team has undertaken school visits and events in 40 countries across Africa, Middle East, South East Asia, Latin America, India and Europe.

The Undergraduate Recruitment Office held its first Applicant Reception in Sudbury on Feb. 21.

Read the President’s P15 Blog

Follow President Benoit-Antoine Bacon on Twitter @CU_President